Bayern Kapital supports innovative technology start-ups in all founding phases - from the seed phase to the IPO. Our investment approach is clearly designed for long-term corporate success and sustainable value generation, rather than for quick returns. As a responsible partner, we can be relied on to support our portfolio companies, even in economically difficult times.
In addition, Bayern Kapital is a public investor and, as a subsidiary of LfA Förderbank Bayern, is committed to the LfA's sustainability principles of compliance with the corporate guidelines of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG).
Bayern Kapital is a signatory of the Diversity Charter and is thus committed to the inclusion of ESG factors in investment decisions. This also means that we have a responsibility. We carefully examine where and how we invest. It is crucial for us that funded start-ups have a governance structure in place and adhere to ethical standards. Through due diligence according to clear criteria, we create transparency and security for founders, co-investors and stakeholders.
The environmental sustainability of our portfolio companies is very important to us. For this reason, we have set up a separate checklist for ESG due diligence for more mature start-ups and scale-ups in the Later Stage funds. This checklist covers various environmental aspects, such as energy efficiency, waste management, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We also offer workshops in the areas of money laundering and fraud prevention as well as securities compliance.
The fact that sustainability and innovation can be well combined in the business model is shown by these examples:
DeepDrive develops high-performance electric drive systems that can extend ranges or reduce the required battery capacity in electric vehicles. The company's solutions not only increase the sustainability of electric mobility, but are also cost-effective and scalable, making them accessible to a wider market.
Evum develops electric commercial vehicles for a wide range of industries, including agriculture, logistics and municipalities. By promoting the use of electric vehicles instead of traditional, petrol-powered vehicles, Evum is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability. In addition, the vehicles are designed to be low-maintenance and durable.
Delicious Data has developed software for the intelligent prediction of food demand and consumption for bakeries, the food industry, commercial kitchens and system catering. The platform uses artificial intelligence to combine historical data from companies with external influences (such as weather or holiday periods) to calculate future sales. On this basis, the user can calculate the cost of the product and control the use of goods. In this way, an average planning improvement of 40% can be achieved. With its innovative solution, Delicious Data makes it possible to save costs and reduce the overall waste of valuable food.
VoltStorage develops sustainable commercial redox-flow batteries. The company has set itself the goal of making 100% renewable energy available around the clock. To make this vision a reality, VoltStorage is developing groundbreaking battery solutions that are particularly resource-saving, cost-effective and climate-friendly.
German Bionic Systems is a Bavarian start-up specialising in exoskeletons for industrial use. The exoskeletons are designed to reduce the physical strain on workers, resulting in fewer work-related injuries and lower overall health burden. In addition, the company focuses on the use of sustainable materials and the minimisation of waste in the production process.
FarmInsect wants to make feed production for agriculture more sustainable in the long term. The start-up's team has developed an automated fattening system that allows farmers to produce protein-rich feed from insect larvae on their own farms and as a result eliminate the need to import feed. The insect larvae are fattened with regional residues such as crop or peeling residues. In the course of fattening, compost is also produced, which can either be used for the farmers own fields – or sold as high-quality fertiliser after heat treatment. Thanks to the principle of the circular economy, animal feed can be produced more cost-effectively, with low CO2 emissions and independent of global supply chains.
The Bavarian company has been developing sophisticated, minimalist drive systems for bicycles for 10 years now. The product combines motor and battery in one package, is extremely light and slim, virtually noiseless and can be elegantly integrated into the down tube of the bike. Fazua has thus established the minimalist assist drive or light e-bike segment - and set a benchmark. The business model shows how climate-friendly mobility can be successfully combined with high-tech.
Insempra is a biotechnology company that enables the industry to replace chemical production processes and petrochemically produced ingredients with sustainable alternatives. Insempra offers the cosmetics, personal care, food and fashion industries, for example, the opportunity to manufacture their products with bio-based ingredients and thus supports leading global brands in their sustainable transformation. For better products, for a better future and for a healthier planet.
OCELL is a Munich-based climate tech start-up that specializes in the development of nature-based, technologically supported climate protection solutions. The focus is on the sustainable use of forests for long-term CO₂ sequestration. With the help of artificial intelligence and digital forest twins, we enable data-supported, transparent and measurable forest management with verifiable climate benefits. Our technology is currently being used to manage over 800,000 hectares of sustainably managed forest areas in eleven countries.
The food company Planet A Foods GmbH uses the most innovative preparation processes to develop sustainable, future-proof food ingredients that can be produced independently of highly limited resources such as cocoa. The company relies exclusively on natural ingredients. As a supplier, Planet A Foods contributes to a socially just and environmentally friendly food industry. The start-up's portfolio includes the world's first cocoa-free chocolate alternative ChoViva, which is made from sunflower seeds.
The Electric Car Scheme is an employee benefit that allows employees to use electric cars at 30-60% less cost. The Electric Car Scheme is the first available offer from parent company Net Zero Choices. The company was founded in June 2020 after co-founders Thom Groot and Tom Eilon realized that the government's tax incentives for employees who want to switch to electric cars and drive environmentally consciously were not available.
Marvel Fusion, founded in Munich in 2019, is developing a sustainable solution for the commercialization of fusion energy. The technology is based on ultrashort pulse lasers and nanostructured propellants and has been demonstrated in experiments over five years. Together with Colorado State University, Marvel Fusion plans to build a 150 million dollar demonstration plant by 2027. With 120 million euros in equity and 150 million euros from public projects, the company is pushing ahead with the development of a fusion power plant in the 2030s.
Zentur.io GmbH is a software-as-a-service provider from Landshut and supports district heating network operators in digitizing meters, setting up an FFVAV-compliant customer portal, optimizing network operations management and transforming generation towards renewable energies. Zentur.io's solutions are aimed at private energy suppliers and public companies that operate district heating networks - but have little or no IT expertise or free resources in this area. Zentur.io's aim is to make the district heating supply more digital, customer-centric and ecological and to accelerate the district heating transition.
As the first spin-out of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Proxima Fusion is accelerating a paradigm shift in the energy sector. The Munich-based start-up builds on the pioneering W7-X experiment in Germany and is developing the world's first QI stellarator power plant using high-temperature superconductors. The declared goal is to tap into the universe's ultimate energy source to generate continuous and reliable emission-free energy. Engineers and scientists from organizations such as the Max Planck Society, MIT and Google have founded Proxima Fusion 2023 to lead Germany, Europe and the world into a new era of clean energy.
SPiNE GmbH from Munich is a start-up for digital energy solutions, founded in February 2024. SPiNE develops an application platform on which regulatory, grid-supporting and market-oriented energy applications can be easily installed and operated at the end customer's premises. SPiNE uses the smart meter infrastructure including the CLS channel to securely control systems; SPiNE also offers simple integration of energy management systems, always in line with the end customer's system constellation. SPiNE has a 100% software focus and is compatible with smart meter gateways, CLS devices and alternative hardware installed in the meter cabinet or behind the grid connection point.
Bayern Kapital is a long-standing sponsor and juror of the Bavarian business plan competitions and is very committed to networking and promotion. As a member of the VBU Association of Women Executives in Biotechnology Companies, we are also committed to gender equality. This goes not only for our portfolio companies but also for our own company.
For many years, Bayern Kapital has had a consistently high proportion of female employees in training and management positions. Currently, almost half our team is female.